An Announcement from the Board We would like to announce that Barry Bassett has left VMI TV Ltd as the Managing Director. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to Barry for his many years … Read more
Blending the Digital and Physical in the Imagined World of The Cowgirl Large Sensor Cinematography The Cowgirl is a production that asks “How do you translate the tactile, imperfect beauty of handmade craft into a photoreal 3D environment, without losing its soul?” A strikingly emotive … Read more
VMI Supports Emerging Filmmakers through the Roundhouse Film Fund VMI’s Third Year of Collaboration with the Roundhouse Trust As December 2025 approaches, the Roundhouse and VMI are thrilled to announce the conclusion of another exciting year of short films … Read more
Critical Update Regarding VMI Bristol VMI opened the Bristol division in 2015 and moved into its current building in St George a year later. Run by Gary Davis and Jon Noad, VMI Bristol was set … Read more
Trial a Subsidised Multicam PTZ Package for Your Next Case Study Shoot 80% Hire Discount – Limited Time Only* VMI launched its dedicated PTZ division in summer 2025, yet many people still don’t realise that blended shoots can feature both full size … Read more
Why I Didn’t Realise I Needed PTZ Cameras, Technology We didn’t realise how much the industry could use PTZ until we saw how cinematic the images had become and how full-size cinematic cameras can seamlessly integrate with semi-autonomous PTZ cameras, which independently pan, tilt and focus with AI-assisted control. In short, PTZ cameras can transform productions, making them suited to more programmes than you might think.
Net Energy Exporter for a Third of the Year Since 2023, VMI has proudly achieved net energy exporter status for a third of the year, thanks to its 55kW array of solar PV panels. During the sunnier months, from … Read more
Jack Hebditch Wins VMI Award for Best Cinematography at University of Portsmouth The University of Portsmouth proudly announces that Jack Hebditch has been awarded the annual VMI Award for Best Cinematography for 2025. Jack’s fantastic work on the emotionally driven short film … Read more
See VMI’s Live Solar PV Feed VMI’s 40KW solar PV array has been working, and is generating some 82MWh of electricity since it was installed in early 2022. This is equivalent to having planted 965 trees, … Read more
Albert-Certified Carbon-Neutral for 2024 For the third year in a row, VMI becomes Albert-Certified Carbon-Neutral by offsetting its 85.38T of Carbon emissions generated in 2024, in an Albert-Approved Scheme to protect forests in Paraguay. … Read more
47% CO2 Reduction in 2024 At VMI, our commitment to reaching Net Zero by 2030 is more than just words – it’s a measurable, transparent journey. Every year, we rigorously reduce our emissions and openly … Read more
The Evolving Landscape of the Camera Rental Sector (Jun24 Update) Challenges, Opportunities, and Optimism for the Future By Barry Bassett & STUART NEATE, Directors, VMI.TV Ltd The production kit rental sector has faced an unprecedented period of uncertainty, disruption, and transformation in recent years. From our perspectives, as Directors of VMI.TV Ltd, a camera rental company with a long history of serving the television and film industries, the mood within the industry has shifted considerably over the past twelve months—from deep pessimism to cautious optimism.
VMI Awards Best Short Film at KIFF 2025 Rebecca Rose’s film “The Removed” won the VMI Best Short Film award at the Kingston International Film Festival (KIFF) in June 2025. VMI has been a proud partner of KIFF … Read more
The Philosophy Behind Sony Cinema Line Cameras Sony’s Cinema Line has become an icon in the world of digital cinema. It’s more than just a collection of cameras; it’s a philosophical commitment to empower creators and push … Read more
VMI Featured in British Cinematographer, June 2025 Link: https://vmi.tv/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/06/BC-129-POINT-OF-VIEW-Sustainability-VMI.pdf VMI Featured in The June edition of British Cinematographer for its proactive steps taken to create an eco-friendly industry. Read Full Article
Accredited Living Wage Employer for 8 Years Back in June 2017, VMI became a certified Living Wage Employer, as it ensured that our staff could earn a wage which the Living Wage Foundation calculated would be enough … Read more
Next Generation Director’s Finder The ubiquitous Director’s finder has been an essential part of the DP’s toolkit since the invention of film but the recent innovation and widespread adoption of mobile phone apps which … Read more
The Very Strange Language of UK TV Production Other Do you know a Honka Bonka from an FO? Or know what to do with a Turtle? How about being insulted or impressed to be called a DFI? Whilst every … Read more
Ali Wilson is leaving VMI after 15 long and fruitful years. Ali first joined us in the late 2010s straight from university as a fresh-faced runner and his first job was taking images of VMI equipment for our (then) new website. … Read more
The Future of Production Kit Rental: Evolving to Survive The production kit rental sector has faced significant upheaval in recent years, with numerous companies shutting their doors. The combination of cheaper high-quality equipment, shifting production trends, and economic pressures … Read more
Staff EV Switch Cuts 43.48 Tonnes of CO₂e Three VMI staff have switched to EVs and hybrids during 2024, cutting our Scope 3 emissions for 2024 by 43.48 tonnes of CO₂e. This reduction reflects fewer petrol/diesel commutes, more … Read more
VMI Welcomes Claudio Cadman as Deputy Head of Drama. We’re thrilled to announce that Claudio Cadman has joined VMI as Deputy Head of Drama, bringing his expertise to help expand our drama division. An award-winning Director of Photography, Claudio … Read more
VMI Website History – 1995-2025 Few will realise that VMI’s website is now on its 5th version and thanks to Google’s cache facility, we can share some of these versions with you to show you how our website has evolved.
Macro & MikroMak Lenses – all you need to know. Cinematography, Lenses Introduction I am no longer surprised at seeing the sceptical look on cinematographers’ faces when I tell them that a group of macro primes exist which don’t follow the usual … Read more
VMI Is Recruiting! VMI currently have the opening for a Client Contact to join our busy camera rental facility in West London and are inviting applications now. As a key member of our … Read more